All That Glitters
by luccador34
Summary: Set in the Johto region roughly 30 years after the events of Gold/Silver/Crystal/HG/SS. All That Glitters follows the adventures of two young trainers from New Bark Town. A lot has changed in the Johto region in 30 years, and something sinister is brewing...
1. Prologue - Over a Silver Sea

**~Prologue~**

**Over a Silver Sea**

Dawn was breaking over the West Sea of Johto, and a silvery glimmer shone on the water's wind-chopped surface. A small silhoutette could be seen just over the horizon, and a man with flaming red, should-length hair had spotted it and was staring intently. He knew the shape of the thing, and had grown tense all of a sudden.

"Haven't seen you in a while..." he muttered. Minutes later, a Delibird was recognizable, flying easily with a seemingly empty pouch. It landed lightly next to the man, who was standing on a cliff overlooking the sea. A modest house sat upon this cliff, which is where the man made his home just a few miles North of the quiet seaside village of Cianwood. The man addressed the Delibird.

"Hello, old friend. It's been years since I last saw you..." The man seemed troubled by the reunion. The Delibird, who had been rather peppy moments before, grew suddenly serious. It delved into its sack-like tail and pulled out an envelope. Without a sound, it extended its arm to the man and stared at him rather intently, not moving a muscle.

The man stared at the envelope for a bit. It was very plain and white, with no marking other than two brief words written eloquently on the front: "To Silver." Sighing, he took it from the Delibird and opened it. The letter read as follows:

"Dearest brother,

Though I know you don't consider me family, we do, in fact, share a father, and you know I care deeply for you. But you absolutely refuse me any sort of partnership, which makes me so very sad! You're the only person I have left in this world, you know, and I do wish you'd come visit. If Delibird does not bring me a reply, I will understand your meaning, though I will be awfully disappointed. Consider this my final offer- Your last chance. After this, it's over. Our alliance will be no more. I certainly don't want that. Do you?

With love,  
Sis"

Silver furrowed his brow as he read, as though deep in thought. He turned and stared out at the sea once more. The Delibird shuffled its feet and clenched its tail nervously, eyeing Silver's movements carefully.

"She insists on following in his footsteps..." he muttered. Then, very calmly, he returned the letter to its envelope, tore it up, and tossed the shreds over the cliff. As thousands of bits of paper rode the cool morning breeze into the sea like falling snow, the Delibird nodded in understanding. It trotted to the edge of the cliff. Looking over its shoulder, it gave Silver a sad smile, then took flight. Silver followed its flight until it was just a speck once more.


	2. Chapter 1 - New Bark Blues

**~Chapter 1~**

**New Bark Blues**

Far across the sea, in the small town of Newbark, excitement is in the air.

"Today's the day!" screeched a rather small girl in a high chair. "Today's the day, today's the day, today's the day!" With each repetition of the syllable "day," she smashed her cereal into tinier and tinier bits with her bunched up fists. The reason for this madness was something her brother Sven had shouted to no one in particular as he rushed through the kitchen looking for a light breakfast.

"Today's the day!" is what he'd said to his sister Kate, and the day he was referring to was his coming of age. He had officially turned thirteen, a truly lucky number, as that was the minimum legal age for a Pokemon trainer's license in the Johto Region.

"Geez, man, did you have to get her started?" an older boy asked as he attempted to clean up the mess of crumbs that Kate was creating. This boy, Nate, was Sven's next-door neighbor, and was the only non-family member that 2-year-old Kate would cooperate with. Kate adored Nate, an experienced trainer who no longer traveled. She mostly loved his Pokemon, but was also thrilled by the fact that their names rhymed.

"Haha, sorry dude. Now where's that form?" Sven scanned the kitchen for the document he needed in order to get his Trainer Card.

"Hanging from the fridge," said Nate, pointing at piece of paper with a note attached that read "Happy birthday! Please fill this out, hun. Mom." Sven grabbed a pen and scribbled his name on the first line. Nate hoisted Kate up out of her chair and placed her on his shoulders. "So what Pokemon are you going to pick, Sven?"

"Well..."

"I don't really have a preference, of course," Nate interuppted. "Back when I lived in Viridian City, I had three totally different starters to choose from." Nate owned an impressive bull Charizard that Sven had always been intimidated by. It was surprisingly gentle around Kate, however, and the young girl loved it to death.

"Yeah, yeah, I've heard all your trainer stories before," Sven said, finishing the form.

Nate grinned. "You'll have some of your own before you know it, dude."

Sven exited his home, form in hand, and headed off down the street to the nearby Elm Pokemon Research Facility, which is where his mother worked as a field researcher. His grandfather, Professor Elm, was the founder of the building, and to Sven he was not the most interesting man in the world. The professor spent most of his time indoors, staring at computer screens, going over data, and studying Pokemon anatomy and evolution. Sven much preferred to be out with his mother, observing Pokemon in their natural habitat. His mother had once traveled the entire Johto region doing just that, but eventually had to settle down and raise her children. Now she spent more time studying local species.

As Sven neared the lab, he spotted his mother's Azumarill out in the garden behind the building, cheerfully watering the plants. Sven approached the door, intending to enter, but was surprised to find it locked.

"Weird..." he said. He went around back. "Azumarill, where's my mother?"

"Zu!" The Pokemon shrugged and went back to work.

"Ah... Thanks, anyway. Guess I'll just wait for someone to come back, then." As he walked to go wait on the front step, Sven heard a soft crash of metal. Startled, he jogged to the small alley on the opposite side of the lab where the noise had come from. Rustling through the garbage cans was a dark blue Pokemon with large ears that Sven had never seen before. It perked up when it heard him approaching, and its fur began to shimmer.

"Nrrrr..." The Pokemon bared its fangs at Sven and growled. The thing was obviously not happy with his intrusion.

"Oh crap..." Sven had no Pokemon with which to defend himself. He made a split-second decision and took off down the street. Looking back, he saw the Pokemon was in pursuit, picking up speed as it chased him. White sparks of electricity crackled behind it with each step.

"Gah! HELP!" Sven called out. He ducked behind a house, hoping the thing hadn't seen. He wasn't so fortunate.

"Nrrrrrr... Shing!" The Pokemon barked at him viciously, backing him up against the side of the house. Sven didn't make any sudden movements, not wanting to provoke it any further. But his efforts were in vain, and the Pokemon reared to pounce.

"HEY!" A yell came from above. Startled, the Pokemon recoiled and searched for the source of the noise. Suddenly a Pokeball hit the ground, releasing a Snubbull in a flash of light.

"Snubbull, get that thing!" shouted the same voice. Snubbull reared back and butted its head at the attacking Pokemon. Obviously weaker than the trained Snubbull, the blue Pokemon grew nervous, then ran off. Sven looked towards a second-story window and saw his savior.

"Dammit, Sven, what's wrong with you?" The voice was female, and belonged to none other than his longtime friend...

"Ariana!" Sven gasped. "Crap, thanks, I thought I was gonna get mauled!"

"What did you do to peeve that thing off?" Ariana asked, leaping from the window, and hitting the ground in a graceful somersault and sticking the landing with not a scratch on her.

"You're nuts..." Sven commented on her acrobatics. "And anyway, I didn't do a thing!"  
"Pff, right. You know as well as I that Pokemon don't just freak out and attack like that unless provoked."

"You wanna bet?! I just walked around the corner and there it was in the trash. Before I knew it, it was chasing after me."

"Weird..." Ariana looked thoughtful for a moment. "Hey, what kind of Pokemon was that, even?"

"Beats me, Sven said. "I've never seen anything like it, and I thought I'd seen every species that lived around here."

"Let's go ask your mom, then." Ariana began to walk back in the direction of the lab.

"She wasn't there a little bit ago. I was all set to have my grandpa register me this morning." Sven suddenly turned to study Ariana's Snubbull. "HEY! Wait a mo! Today's your birthday, too, how'd you already get a Pokemon?! I thought I was up early!"

Ariana laughed. "It was a gift from my dad, silly. I told him I wished I didn't have to choose from the same old starters that every other kid from Johto's ever picked from. So he mailed me a Pokeball from Olivine. He caught it himself!"

"Huh. Congrats, then." Sven wasn't surprised by this strive for individuality. He had known Ariana for most of his life, and she was always trying to break away from the crowd. She was loud, outgoing, and didn't really seem to care that others saw her as a bit weird for it. Or perhaps she didn't notice. Sven was a little more reserved, but he supposed that's why they got along so well. There was a balance struck between their personalities.

Ariana beamed. "Thanks so much! Now c'mon, let's go find your mom!"


	3. Chapter 2 - Startup Kids

**~Chapter 2~**

**Startup Kids**

When the pair returned to the lab, it was unlocked and occupied.

"I'm so sorry, sweetie," Sven's mother said. "I was here earlier, but your grandfather got word of a huge swarm of foreign Pokemon from the north." She held out a photograph to show to Sven and Ariana.

Sven suddenly became animated. "Whoa, hey! That's the same thing that attacked me this morning!"

His mother frowned. "Attacked? You weren't out in the woods, were you?"

Sven related his recent adventure.

"That doesn't seem right... Shinx usually stay within their pride, and they certainly don't attack humans. I'll have to contact my friend Dawn and see what she can tell me. Shinx are native to her region. In the meantime, your grandfather is upstairs with a surprise for you."

"Ha, I bet I know what it is. C'mon!" Sven motioned excitedly for Ariana to follow him, and the two raced to the upper level of the building.

"Hey! You two are finally here!" the Professor said when they arrived. "Sorry I wasn't here a bit ago. I was recording your mother's findings in the Pokedex. Which brings me to the surprise I had for you..." He brought out a tiny, pocket-sized device. "How'd you like to be the next Dex-holder?"

Sven grinned. "You kidding? You already know what I'm gonna say!"

Prof. Elm said. "Not that we've discovered any new species in years, but it would be handy for a young trainer who's never left a small town. Much of the data on the latest model is the same that your mother recorded when she was your age. Man, in those days we let kids register at the age of 10. But laws have changed, of course. Got your forms?"

Sven pulled the crumpled pages from his pocket. Ariana presented her neatly folded forms. "I won't be needing a Pokemon, Mr. Elm," she said. "Daddy caught me one."

"Ah, did he?" Prof. Elm gave her a soft smile. "How is your father?"

"Oh, well, he's away a lot..." Ariana said. "But he sends me letters all the time. He trains so hard. It's tough being in the competitive battle circuit."

"It is a difficult life, yes. But he's been doing what he does for a long time. I've never met a human being that enjoyed his Pokemon more than Ethan Gold."

Sven had always looked up to Ariana's father. He was often in league battles on television, and he and Ariana would stay up late to watch them.

"Now, Prof. Elm turned to Sven. "The only thing left for you to do is choose your starter. I'm sure I don't need to tell you what your choices are."

Sven grinned. "No, sir." He'd thought long and hard about his choice, and he'd decided that the coolest Pokemon he'd ever seen on TV had been the Typhlosion owned by Ariana's father. "I want Cyndaquil!"

After creating a trainer card for each of them, Prof. Elm walked over to a machine full of Pokeballs. He pressed a red button, which opened a drawer containing just one. He removed the ball and handed it over to Sven. "Give it a try. Just press the center button."

Sven held the ball firmly in his hand for a moment. His entire life, he'd actually never touched one. It was roughly the size of a golf ball, and surprisingly light. Finally, he touched the center button, and out shot a beam of faintly glowing pinkish-white light. With a quick flash, a small creature suddenly stood on the floor before them.

"Ohmigosh! Sven, it's adorable!" Ariana jumped in the air. Standing at about a foot-and-a-half tall, the small, blue and white Cyndaquil squinted up at the three humans through two small slits of eye.

"Cyn... da... QUIL!" The Pokemon sneezed, shooting a jet of hot flames from its back.

"Whoa!" Prof. Elm said, putting out the small fire that had caught on his labcoat. "It may be best to take Cyndaquil out of the lab, so as not to destroy anything important." He looked at Sven. "You should take this opportunity to try out your Pokedex."

"Ah, alright." Sven opened up his Dex and aimed it at the Cyndaquil.

"Cyndaquil, the Fire Mouse Pokemon. Type: Fire. Level: 5. Moves: Tackle, Leer, Smokescreen. A timid Pokemon, it usually remains hunched over, shooting flames from its back when surprised. These flames burn hotter when it is angered, but sputter and die when it becomes tired.

"It's pretty handy for whenever you capture a new Pokemon," Prof. Elm commented. "I do hope you find it useful." He extended his hand towards Sven. "Congratulations, grandson."

Sven took Elm's hand and shook firmly. "Thanks a bunch, Grandpa," Sven said.

"Yes, thank you for _everything_!" Ariana gushed, hugging the professor tightly. The old man struggled for breath.

"You kids... *gasp* Should say good... *gasp* Bye to your parents, if you intend on leaving today," he wheezed.

"Right," Sven said. "C'mon, Ariana." The girl released Prof. Elm, who fell back into his chair panting for breath.

"Sven Elm, and Ariana Gold... Best of luck to you both."

Sven's mother was hardly able to keep her composure as she wept, hugging the two new trainers tightly. "Oh, I'm not sad... I know you'll be back someday, sweetie. Gosh, I remember when I first went off on my own... I was terrified! I'm so glad you intend to travel together."

"Of course!" said Ariana, nudging Sven in the arm. "I don't trust this kid by himself!"

Sven ignored his friend. "Thanks for everything, mom. I'll call you whenever I catch some new Pokemon!"

As the two trainers exited the town they'd both spent most of their young lives in, they were unaware of a shadowy figure of a woman sitting in a tree, watching them as they took their first steps onto Route 29. A Ledyba flew up and joined her.

"So there's the offspring of Johto's best-known trainer," the figure purred as she stroked the Ledyba's head. "And the grandson of its greatest mind. They could be more than useful, don't you think, dearie?"

"Buhbuh!" the Pokemon responded, blissfully unaware of the sinister undertones its trainer carried in her voice.


	4. Chapter 3 - New Sparks and Old Flames

**~Chapter 3~**

**New Sparks and Old Flames**

Sven had barely left town when he removed the small backpack he was wearing and began to fumble around inside of it.

"What are you doing?" Ariana asked, looking at him quizzically.

"I'm getting ready to capture a bunch of awesome Pokemon," Sven said. "I'll get nowhere in the Johto League without a strong team behind me."

"Sven, you already have a Pokemon... Don't you think you should train it, first? Besides, every trainer who's ever started a Pokemon journey in New Bark has caught the same old boring species here on Route 29. They're so common..." But Sven wasn't listening. He scanned the treeline and spotted a Sentret poking its head out of the grass off to his left. Sven snatched Cyndaquil's Pokeball from his bag.

"Cyndaquil! Get ready for battle!" He pressed the button on the device and tossed it forward. In a flash, Cyndaquil emerged, and the ball, which picked up on Sven's coded Trainer Card, flew back into his hand. "We've gotta weaken that Sentret, Cyndaquil! Give it a tackle!"

"Quil!" Cyndaquil obeyed, charging toward Sentret, who had suddenly stiffened its body as it became alerted to the oncoming attack. Moving out of the way at the last second, it managed to evade.

"Darnit, try a Smokescreen to confuse it, first!" Sven shouted out. Cyndaquil hunched over and tensed up in concentraion. A cloud of smoke quickly began to pour from the pores in its back. The wild Sentret was immediately engulfed, with no way of seeing where Cyndaquil stood. "Tackle!"

Cyndaquil charged straight through the cloud at top speed, and hit the Sentret full-on. When the smoke cleared, Cyndaquil had it pinned to the ground.

"Aha!" Sven readied an empty Pokeball. "Cyndaquil! Get out of the way, I'm gonna catch that thing!"

However, the Sentret apparently had other ideas. The attack had obviously not completely disoriented the wild Pokemon, and as soon as Cyndaquil released it, the Sentret bolted at top speed into the woods. Sven was dumbstruck.

"Nice," said Ariana. "Sven, you've got to do a bit more work than one measly Tackle attack if you're planning on catching anything." She shook her head. "But hey, it's alright. Battling other Pokemon is the best way to make your own Pokemon stronger. Now Cyndaquil's got its first battle experience, and next time it will perform better." Sven looked down at his new partner. Cyndaquil was lying on the ground pathetically, fatigued from the fight.

"Gah, c'mon you two, let's see if we can point ourselves in the direction of the Cherrygrove gate," Ariana said. She opened up her knapsack and dug around for a few minutes. "Oh, shoot!"

Sven recalled his Pokemon. "What's the matter?"

Ariana smiled sheepishly. "Mind heading back to town? I forgot the map!"

The two trainers walked the short distance to Ariana's home.

"Hey, meet me at my place when you're ready," Sven told her. "I forgot to say goodbye to Kate and Nate." When Sven arrived at his house, it was empty. He heard voices next door, so he assumed Nate had taken Kate over to his house to play with his Pokemon. Looking over in Nate's backyard, Sven could see that Kate was gleefully perched on the head of a huge, winged Pokemon. Under normal circumstances, this creature was menacing. But Nate's Charizard had a soft spot for Kate, and a small smile could be seen on the Pokemon's face as Kate's tiny hands gripped its horns for balance. The pair were watching as Nate trained another one of his Pokemon using a target course he had set up around the yard.

"Spearow! Use Peck on the tree!" Spearow made a sharp turn in mid-flight and directed itself at a bulls-eye that hung from a tree branch. The target spun up over the branch as Spearow made contact, preventing the Pokemon from being injured. Nate had explained once to Sven that this exercise helped increase the accuracy of attacks, in addition to speeding up the thought process of his Pokemon during battle.

"Sven! Sven!" Kate cheered, noticing her brother for the first time. Nate looked up. Spearow alighted on his shoulder.

"That's a new one," Sven commented, nodded towards the Spearow.

"Yeah, I just caught it this morning!" Nate said happily. "Your new Trainership inspired me to get outside and train again."

"Oh yeah?" Sven said. He thought back to his battle against Sentret. He really wanted to catch Pokemon as easily as he knew Nate could. "Well hey, if that's a new Pokemon, it can't be very strong yet. Wanna battle?"

Nate grinned. "Do I? Let's see what you've got, newbie!" Spearow flew out and landed before its trainer. "Charizard, take Kate to the edge of the yard to play." The huge Pokemon nodded and rose up, with Kate squealing about the ride. Sven took a deep breath and reached for a Pokeball.

"Let's go, Cyndaquil." Sven released his partner from its ball. Nate wasted no time. "Spearow, on it! Peck!"

"Cyndaquil, get moving!" Sven cried. But he couldn't react in time to evade Spearow's awesome speed. Cyndaquil avoided a direct hit, but was still grazed by the tiny bird's talons. "Crud... Tackle it, Cyndaquil!"

"Spearow, get a little higher!" Nate called out confidently. Spearow flew out of the way of Cyndaquil's physical charge. The fire mouse was at a loss, because at this point it didn't have any ranged attacks that could reach Spearow in the air. Sven tried to keep his cool and avoid getting frustrated. He decided he'd try the same tactic he'd used on Sentret in his earlier battle. However, this would require a little extra patience. He waited for Nate to make the next move.

"Spearow! Dive bomb it with a Peck attack!"

Sven jumped at the chance to counter. "Cyndaquil, Smokescreen!"

Surprised at the sudden command, Cyndaquil let loose a huge cloud of thick smoke that obscured not only Spearow's view, but its own view as well. A thud could be heard, and when the smoke cleared, Spearow was lying on the ground looking dazed.

"Alright!" Sven cheered. "Cyndaquil, don't lose this chance! Attack it now!" Cyndaquil was also still attempting to get its bearings after being shrouded in its own smoke. Frightened by Sven's sudden command, it hunched over and let loose a burst of small, concentrated flames. Sven and Nate ran for cover, but Spearow was unable to move in time. The attack was too much for the Pokemon, and it fainted completely.

"Oh geez, Nate, I'm sorry!" Sven ran over to calm down his bewildered Cyndaquil. Nate chuckled.

"It's okay man, chill," he assured Sven, recalling Spearow into its Pokeball. "Spearow will be fine, just as soon as I get it over to the Pokemon Center."

"I have no idea where that fire came from..." Sven said. He pulled out his Pokedex and aimed it at Cyndaquil. "Whoa, hey! Cyndaquil has a new attack listed!"

"Ember, no doubt," said Nate. "That's what it looked like, anyhow. That was Charizard's first Fire-type move, too."

"Yeah! It didn't know that move this morning."

"You must have leveled it up a bit. I'm sure battling an experienced trainer like me helped a lot!" Nate laughed and patted Sven on the back. Then he sighed. "It's been a while since I had an actual battle. That was... Energizing, to say the least." He looked thoughtfully toward the mountains to the North.

"Yeah, thanks a bunch. Now I have some idea of what I'm doing, and Cyndaquil should be strong enough to defend me in the wild."

"You're a natural, dude." Nate smiled. "Not too many rookies could have taken me on and won."

"Ha, thanks!" Sven checked his Pokegear for the time. "Well, I need to meet Ariana soon. I'm leaving town to challenge the Johto League." Sven shook Nate's hand, then walked over to Kate and gave her a hug. "Bye, Katie!"

"Bye-bye!" Kate said, waving her fingers. Sven smiled and turned back to Nate. "We should have a rematch the next time I'm home!"

"Yeah, of course," Nate said. He watched Sven walk off and then went over to where Kate was still playing with Charizard. "Maybe even sooner than that..."


	5. Chapter 4 - Beauty In the Woods

**~Chapter 4~**

**Beauty in the Woods**

"You know," Sven said wryly. "It would be nice if one of us had the map installed on our Pokegear. Then we wouldn't have to worry about carrying it around or forgetting it. I mean, this thing is huge."

"Absolutely not!" Ariana looked at Sven distastefully. She had the map unfolded on a picnic table at a small rest area on Route 29. "First of all, the Pokegear screen is ridiculously tiny. It's impossible to read those maps. Second of all, paper maps are _so retro-chic!_ Just think. We're probably the hippest rookie trainers in Johto." She nudged him and winked.

"Yeah, I suppose." Sven couldn't help but smile at Ariana's humor. He had been friends with Ariana long enough to know when she was joking around. However, he was also well aware that Ariana strived for individuality, so there was probably some truth to her statement about being hip. After determining the quickest way to reach Cherrygrove, they packed up their stuff and returned to the trail.

Things were fairly quiet as the friends walked down the well-traveled, dusty road. They had each released their Pokemon, and the four were simply enjoying each other's company and the nature around them. This all changed quite suddenly.

"Hey! Let's go that way!" Ariana pointed down a narrow side trail that was nearly invisible for all the shrubbery around it. Sven hadn't even noticed it.

"Uhm... That trail leads north, Ar..." Sven said reluctantly. "We need to head west."

"Oh, we'll be fine. I just want to see where it leads!" She grabbed his arm and pulled him along with her, with Cyndaquil and Snubbull dashing behind. The trail winded through the trees until eventually opening to a clearing at the foot of a series of cliffs. The stone was a light gray color, and the tops of the ledges were much too high to see.

"Ah, this must be the base of Mount Silver," said Sven. "Looks like a dead-end."

"Cool!" Ariana turned to Sven. "See? We'd have never found this spot had we not come this way! Though I guess we should head back... Oh?" She peered back towards the trees, where a slight rustle could be heard in the brush. Out of the grass popped a small, blue Pokemon with a long snout.

"Aw, it's a little Phanpy! So adorable! Snubbull, let's see how we do at the capturing game!" Snubbull confronted the wild Phanpy, which didn't seem to be at all distressed by the presence of the intimidating-looking Pokemon. Instead, it playfully waved its snout, smiling as if it was trying to befriend Ariana's partner.

"Ohmigosh!" Ariana crooned. "Look at that! So cute!"

"Are you going to attack it or give it a hug?" Sven asked, rolling his eyes. Ariana grinned at him.

"Fine," she said, turning to Snubbull. "Show it you mean business, darling. Lick attack!" Snubbull proceeded to deliver a blow with its tongue, of all things. Phanpy didn't seem badly hurt by the attack, but it found itself unable to move. Snubbull's Lick had given Ariana the desire effect: the saliva created a chemical reaction that caused Phanpy's muscles to stiffen, essentially paralyzing it.

"Great! Now pull back!" Ariana tossed an empty Pokeball at Phanpy. The ball shook rapidly then locked, successfully capturing the Long Nose Pokemon. Sven watched all this in awe. It was as if Ariana had been doing this all her life. She winked at Sven. "There, see? Not so hard. My dad taught me that while Pokemon are more easily captured when weak, a status condition like paralysis helps, too."

"Nifty," Sven said, looking at Cyndaquil. "We'll keep that in mind, right buddy? You need some teammates."

"Now," said Ariana, staring at the trees. "How on earth do we get back to the main road? I don't even see the trail that we followed to get here..."

"Shoot, Ar!" Sven scanned the woods, searching for some sort of clearing. He saw none. "I told you we should have just stuck to the main road..."

"Well, let's just take a guess..." Ariana looked hesitant to walk into the wilderness, which now seemed a little darker and more intimidating. Suddenly they heard a voice call out.

"Hello, hello! Lost your bearings?" Sven and Ariana searched for its source. Up in a tree sat a very pretty young woman with long, dark red hair. On her lap, a Teddiursa was snoozing and sucking its paw.

"Uh, well, yes!" Ariana told the stranger. "Do you know how we can find the main road?"

"Mhm." The girl smiled and nodded, wrapping her arm around the sleeping Teddiursa. Then she jumped down gracefully, her long hair flowing behind her. "You can follow me if you'd like. It's actually not that far from here."

Sven glanced at Ariana, who returned the look. They exchanged a silent nod, seeing no reason to distrust the woman, at least for the time being. They turned to follow.

"My name is Marisa, by the way. I nearly forgot to introduce myself." She was dressed quite fashionably, with an expensive looking tote draped over her shoulder.

Sven mumbled his own name. He couldn't help but find Marisa attractive.

"I'm Ariana!" She was her typical outgoing self.

"Nice to meet you Sven. And Ariana, I don't mean to sound like a creep, but I witnessed your capture of that Phanpy just now. You're like an old pro, but you seem so young!"

"Thank you!" Ariana gushed. "I did learn from the best!"

"Really? And who might that be?" Marisa asked, her lips curling into a smile.

"Well, my father is Ethan Gold."

"Gold?! Former champion of the Johto League and current member of the Elite 4?!" Marisa exclaimed a little too excitedly. "No wonder! Are you taking the gym challenge, then?"

Ariana shook her head. "No, actually. I love battling, and of course I admire my dad's work, but I don't want to put that much commitment into joining the competitive circuit. Sven's set on getting into the league, though! Right?"

"Yeah," said Sven, laughing sheepishly.

"Well, you've got some work to do, then," Marisa said to him. "I assume you're both rookie trainers."

"Yeah, we actually just got our liscenses today," Sven explained.

"Well, I just so happen to dabble in a bit of competitive battling, myself," said Marisa. "Perhaps we'll do battle someday!"

"Are you any good?" Sven asked, eyeing the unimpressive Teddiursa, who was still fast asleep in its trainer's arms.

"I like to think so," Marisa said with a smile. "But I suppose you'll just have to see for yourself. As for right now, though, I don't think you'd be much competition for a seasoned trainer such as myself. But... I am entering the Olivine tournament in a few months! I've heard rumors that your father will be making an appearance, Ariana!"

"Oh, he loves to surprise people at those festivals. I'm sure he'll show up."

"Lovely!" Marisa exclaimed. "I'm so glad I met you two! I have a feeling we'll be good friends, no?"

"I don't see why not," said Ariana. "You saved us from getting lost on our very first day on the road!"

Sven eyed Marisa with a questioning look. He was a little put off by the woman's over-enthusiasm at having met them. He dismissed these feelings, however, and decided she was just being very friendly. She did seem like a wonderful person, especially since she was helping them out.

"Ah! And here we are!" Marisa spread her arms wide, as if she was putting the road on display. "I can't follow you to Cherrygrove, unfortunately, as I am heading in the opposite direction. Could I see your Pokegears? I'd love to get your numbers!"

"Sure, I guess. Here," Sven handed his Pokegear to her. Ariana did likewise. Marisa turned her back and fumbled with the devices for a few moments.

"Oh, thank you. I gave you both my number, as well, so give me a call if you ever need advice!" Marisa flashed a smile, but Sven saw something in her eyes that made him shudder. It was weird, she just seemed too happy. He didn't distrust her, but something certainly struck him as odd. Ariana had no such qualms.

"Thank so so much for all of your help! Goodbye! See you sometime soon, I hope!" Ariana shook Marisa's hand vigorously. Sven did the same, though more cautiously.

"Goodbye, friends!" Marisa gushed. With that, she headed off into the woods, walking with a certain elegance that made her seem almost uppity, despite her cheery disposition.

"She is so nice!" Ariana said.

"Yup..." Sven muttered, watching Marisa walk off.

It was late in the afternoon by the time they made it to Cherrygrove. They stopped in at the local Pokemon Center to rest their Pokemon and to eat lunch. Afterwards, they sat out in the building's courtyard. Ariana got to know her new Phanpy, letting Snubbull loose so the two could play. Sven decided to make use of the space to test out Cyndaquil's newly learned Ember.

"Wow, when did it learn that?" Ariana asked as she watched.

"I battled Nate before we left town, and actually won!" Sven didn't bother telling her that Nate had used a newly caught Spearow.

"That's incredible, Sven! Good job!" Ariana hugged him. "See, you're no screw up!"

"Ha, of course not. Now we just have to learn to better control this new attack." Sven surveyed the sky. The sun was just barely setting. "You know, there's not much to do here in Cherrygrove. Let's see if we can make it to Violet City before the sun goes down."

"Uhm... I dunno, it's a pretty long walk..."

"Ptsh, it's not that far. Besides, there'll be different kinds of Pokemon to try and catch on Route 30!"

Ariana sighed and realized that there was no use in arguing. "Alright, I'll go tell the attendant that we won't need lodging tonight. Let's hurry, though."


	6. Chapter 5 - Memories

**~Chapter 5~**

**Memories**

The Pokemon Center was located at the very easternmost part of Cherrygrove, which was a fairly large town. Sven and Ariana traversed the busy streets. There was no gym in Cherrygrove, so it did not attract very many trainers. They saw very few Pokemon, save for along the shoreline where many fishermen were dragging aquatic Pokemon out of the sea, which glittered a shade of golden-orange in the sunset. At the end of the shore the main road turned sharply into a pine forest. A large sign hung over the entrance to the forest that read "Johto Route 30". The journey through the city had taken a bit longer than Sven thought, but he knew for a fact that Violet City was the next town over. The road was relatively straight-forward, and there was not much to see along the way other than trees. But it was long, and the two trainers were only about halfway to their destination by the time the sun had set completely. The trees blocked any light from the moon and stars, and soon they were completely lost in the dark. Ariana had tripped in a hole in the ground and scraped herself up, and Sven was soaking wet from walking straight into the pond he hadn't seen.

"Sven!" Ariana cried. "I can't stay out here! We need to find shelter!"

"Uh..." Sven was at a loss. They were too far to turn back now, and Violet City was much too far to reach without being able to see. He tossed his partner's Pokeball. "Cyndaquil, light our way, buddy!"

No sooner had Cyndaquil lit the area with its flames than Sven suddenly noticed the group was being watched. Two very irritated-looking Pokemon were nearby, staring them down. One was a Rattata, defending the tiny burrow that Ariana had tripped in just moments before. The other was a Poliwag that had emerged from the pond, angrily slapping its tail on the ground.

"I think we invaded their territory!" Ariana said, nervously readying Snubbull's Pokeball.

"We can take them," said Sven. "Cyndaquil try Ember!" Rattata was quickly burned by the flames that Cyndaquil let loose and hissed in pain. Poliwag, however, didn't seem phazed. "Ariana, I can't risk Cyndaquil getting hurt by water, so you deal with Poliwag!"

"Alright," she said, releasing Snubbull. "Bite Poliwag!" Snubbull clamped down on Poliwag's tail, causing the small Pokemon to cry out and flail around.

"Cyndaquil, Tackle Poliwag while it's weak!" Cyndaquil turned its attention away from Rattata and rammed into the helpless Poliwag, knocking it to the side. Meanwhile, Rattata had shrugged off the burn and snuck up on Snubbull, giving it a Bite attack of its own. Snubbull howled in pain.

"Snubbull, Headbutt it!" Snubbull tried to reach around to hit Rattata, but the small Pokemon had attached itself firmly to Snubbull's rear.

Sven saw this and decided to act. "Cyndaquil, you need to hit Rattata with Ember, but don't let the flames touch Snubbull!"

"Quil!" Cyndaquil nodded in understanding. They had practiced this at the Pokemon center. It concentrated a small burst of flames that hit Rattata's tail. Though not a direct hit, the wild Pokemon was not used to enduring so much pain. It swiftly ran back into its burrow. The flames also startled Poliwag, so Ariana decided to take advantage of the situation by tossing an empty Pokeball at it. The ball shook once, then twice... and finally remain motionless.

"Really? Another one?" Sven asked, dumbfounded.

"Awh, sorry, Sven! I just saw the chance and took it! Had I waited any longer, it would have recovered and attacked again." Ariana patted him on the shoulder. "Don't worry, you'll get one soon!"

"Hmm..." Sven looked at Cyndaquil. "Great work, bud. Come on back." He recalled Cyndaquil. Looking up, he started up in surprise. "Hey! Ari, look!"

Ariana turned to follow Sven's gaze. Across the pond was a house. It looked ancient and decrepit, as if no one had been inside for a long time.

"I'll bet nobody lives there! We can stay there for the night!"

Ariana was thrilled at the idea of a place to rest. "Let's go see if we can get in!" They ran around the pond and knocked on the door of the house, which up close looked to be no more than tiny cottage. It was built on one story, and on the door was a sign. The paint was all but completely peeled away, but the sign's message could still be made out to say "Welcome to the home of Mr. PkMn!"

"Mr. Pokemon..." Sven said slowly, making sure he had read correctly. "I know that name. He was an old friend of my grandpa! Died when I was really little... This house hasn't had an owner in years. I think it's safe to say that we can go in."

Inside, Ariana found a few blankets and made two large makeshift beds on the floor, along with a few smaller ones for their Pokemon. They let everyone out of their Pokeballs, and Cyndaquil and Snubbull were so exhausted from their battle that they immediately fell asleep. Poliwag, feeling awkward since it had just battled these Pokemon moments ago, kept its distance. With a little coaxing from its new trainer, it finally snuggled up with her to sleep.

Phanpy, fully awake and energetic, decided to follow Sven around the house as he looked through Mr. Pokemon's belongings. They had been left completely untouched after his death, and the house was like a tangible biography of the old man.

"Whoa, hey..." Sven took a dusty old diary off of a bookshelf and blew away the dirt. Phanpy sneezed. Sven laughed and nudged it over to where the group was sleeping. He took the book to bed with him, reading of Mr. Pokemon's many sightings of rare Pokemon in Johto.

_"My good friend Elm determined that Pokemon eggs hatch quickly when around a trainer's Pokemon..._

_ That boy, Gold, is quite something. He managed to get Suicune to approach him... Or perhaps it was the other way around..._

_ I never thought I'd ever see the legendary guardians of Johto return. That boy found the keys to their hearts in the Kanto region of all places..._

_ The spirit of the Ilex Forest... the people of Azalea Town are convinced that it exists, but I have spent many long nights camped out near the shrine, only to be disappointed..."_

Soon, Sven's eyelids grew heavy, and he submitted to fatigue.


	7. Chapter 6 - Sage Advice

**~Chapter 6~**

**Sage Advice**

Sven awoke as dawn was breaking, with Mr. Pokemon's diary resting open on his chest. He stuffed the book into his pack, then nudged Cyndaquil awake. The little Pokemon yawned and stretched, then looked at Sven quizzically.

"Hey," Sven whispered, trying not to wake the others. "Let's go out and train for a bit before Ariana wakes up." They went outside and began to jog around the clearing as a warm-up. Suddenly, a bright red Pokemon dropped from a tree in front of them. Startled, Sven pulled out his Pokedex.

"Ledyba, The Five Star Pokemon. Type: Bug/Flying. Level: 3. Moves: Tackle. This Pokemon is usually very timid when left alone, sometimes remaining too frightened to move. In groups, however, it is very active, communicating with its scent. These groups cluster together in cold weather."

Sven eyed the Ledyba, who seemed more bewildered than frightened. It was rubbing its head and staring up at the branch it had toppled from. "Well, Cyndaquil, let's give this capturing thing another try!"

Cyndaquil nodded absentmindedly, but its mind was elsewhere. Up in the tree that Ledyba had fallen from were some bright, tasty-looking apples. The wild Pokemon had presumably been eating some when it fell. Cyndaquil, who hadn't eaten since the previous afternoon at the Cherrygrove Pokemon Center, was eyeing the fruit hungrily.

"Alright, let's try a Smokescreen to confuse it!" Sven called out. Distracted, Cyndaquil let loose a pathetic cloud from its back. Sven was disappointed. "Hey! Cyndaquil, pay attention!"

Cyndaquil was startled by the sudden outburst. Flames burst from its back, and a powerful Ember attack hit the wild Ledyba. Being a Bug-type, Ledyba was not a huge fan of fire. In pain and unable to defend itself, it flew away as fast as its wings could carry it. Sven looked at Cyndaquil. The Pokemon was quivering on the ground, not quite sure of what had just happened. Sven sighed, grabbed a few apples from the tree, and sat down next to his partner, patting it softly. Cyndaquil calmed down and began to eat happily, roasting the fruit with its flames.

"Well, we might not have captured anything yet, but at least you've got some powerful moves," Sven said, taking a bite of apple.

"Oh? A new trainer is having trouble!" said a voice from behind. Startled Sven spun around and saw a short old man with a completely shaven head wearing long, purplish robes. Cyndaquil fired up the flames on its back, ready to attack. The man chuckled. "Perhaps we can assist them, my friend."

The man was addressing a small Pokemon that stood next to him. It resembled a flower with roots for feet.

"Uhm... Hello," Sven said, dropping his guard. "Who are you?"

"I am Troy, Elder of the Sprout Tower. My partner is a Bellsprout. What is your name, son?"

"I'm Sven. This is my Cyndaquil. And what was that you said about helping?"

"We observed your battle... If that is what you wish to call it." The man chuckled again. "You are both strong-willed individuals, but your energy is not synchronized." All the while Troy was talking, he situated himself into various martial arts stances. His Bellsprout matched his every move without so much as glancing toward him. Sven was in awe.

"Come with us." Troy turned and led Sven into a nearby clearing. It was oddly circular, with a single tree in the center. "This is Sprout Tree." Troy and Bellsprout bowed, and Sven politely did the same. "It is where new Sprout Sages come before being allowed to train in the tower."

"Sven studied the tree. Its trunk stood perfectly straight, and every branch appeared symmetrical to the others. However, the longer Sven stared, the more the tree seemed to be swaying back and forth in a hypnotic rhythm. Sven shook his head, and the tree returned to normal.

"Before giving your partner a command, it is important to know how it is feeling. Pokemon are not merely tools with which to battle. Cyndaquil is an individual, and I can see that you are friends. You must learn to read your friend, and be aware of its thoughts. Otherwise you will continue to blunder as you did most recently. Work together, as one, and you will have great success in your endeavors." Troy looked Sven directly in the eyes. "Do you understand?"

Sven nodded slowly. "Good," said Troy. He glanced off to the side of the clearing. Sven followed his gaze, until he spotted what Troy was looking at. A wild Bellsprout was nervously watching the group from the treeline. Sven looked back at Troy, who was once again staring at him intently. The sage spoke.

"Now show me."

Sven looked at Cyndaquil, who was currently transfixed by Troy's mysterious Bellsprout, which silently mimicked its trainer in every way. "Cyndaquil, I want you to focus now, okay?" Cyndaquil, looked up at him. Sven pointed toward the wild Bellsprout. "Ready to fight?" Cyndaquil ignited its flames once more, answering his question.

The duo addressed the wild Pokemon, who realized then that it was about to be attacked. Rather than running away, however, it assumed a fighting stance. Sven smiled. "Looks like we've got a challenge," he said to himself. "Alright, Bellsprout is a Grass-type, so if I want to capture it we can't overdo the Fire moves..."

Out loud, he called out a command. "Cyndaquil, Tackle!" Cyndaquil dove towards the wild Bellsprout, but the tiny Pokemon was nimble. It easily dodged the attack, then proceeded to batter Cyndaquil with a Vine Whip. Cyndaquil took each hit with a pained looked, but seemed too timid to try and fight back. Sven was confused at first, but tried to put to use what Troy had said.

He quickly studied Cyndaquil's movements, and realized that his partner wasn't entirely focused on the wild Bellsprout to begin with. It was hunched over nervously, glancing occasionally at Troy and his Bellsprout, both of whom were watching the battle intently. It was clear to Sven that Cyndaquil was afraid of being judged. Suddenly, Troy's words made sense.

"Cyndaquil, buddy! I need your help. Don't worry about anything else but that wild Bellsprout! I know you're good enough to take it on!" Cyndaquil looked at Sven, as if noticing him for the first time. "We need to slow this thing down, but I don't want you to knock it out, so let's give it a nice, controlled Ember, just like we practiced!"

Cyndaquil nodded, hunched over again, and tensed its muscles. The firespots on its back began to glow, and a tiny burst of sparks shot forth and fell all around the wild Bellsprout. Unable to run, it submitted to being burned.

"Now Tackle!" Sven called out. Cyndaquil gathered up the last of its energy and ran through the small flames. Bellsprout made a move as though it was going to evade, but it bore a pained grimace and was dragging one of its roots along behind it. They had succeeded in burning the Pokemon. Unable to dodge, Bellsprout was sent flying by the Tackle. Seeing his chance, Sven chucked an empty Pokeball at it. Capture was almost immediate, with the ball shaking rapidly and then locking seconds later.

Sven burst into a wild cheer for Cyndaquil, who fell over fainted from exhaustion at the amount of effort it took to control its flames. Sven ran up and gathered his partner in his arms.

"You see now how easy it can be to connect," Troy said, approaching the duo. "But you must know each of your Pokemon, and the way they think both in and out of battle."

"Thank you so much for your teachings," Sven said, bowing. Troy returned the gesture.

"You are very welcome, young one. From now on, you are an honorary sage of the Sprout Tower. Feel free to visit any time that you feel you need guidance on your journey." He gave a little smile and a wave, and then turned to walk away. His Bellsprout followed in perfect harmony.


End file.
